How to Lose $34 Billion in 18 Months

The Brazilian energy industry has been slow to develop. Both Petrobras and OGX Petroleum & Gas are both prime examples.

This segment is from Tuesday's edition of 'Digging for Value', in which sector analysts Joel South and Taylor Muckerman discuss energy & materials news with host Alison Southwick. The twice-weekly show can be viewed on Tuesdays & Thursdays. It can also be found on Twitter, along with our extended coverage of the energy & materials sectors @TMFEnergy.

How does one go from holding a personal wealth of $34 billion to worrying about bankruptcy within a year and a half? Try drilling a bunch of unproductive wells with the oil and gas company that you founded. Eike Batista and his company, OGX Petroleo E Gas(NASDAQOTH:OGXPY) has become fairly notorious for achieving this very "feat". His fate is just another black eye for the Brazilian oil and gas industry that has seen Petrobras'(NYSE:PBR) sit on possibly some of the most legendary finds since being introduced to the world six to seven years ago. If things don't turn around quickly, investors in Petrobras might have similar worries of wealth destruction. For more tune in below.

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Taylor is an Associate GM in our Fool International operations. Prior to that he covered all things Energy + Materials as an analyst. Over the years, he has built an investing skill set to rely on when evaluating companies inside and out. While at the Fool, he has made appearances on CNBC and Fox Business. In addition, he completed his MBA at the University of Maryland and will sit for the Level II CFA Exam.